Question 1

Which of the beams is due to an energetic light wave?

Accepted Answer

A) a 
B) b 
C) c 
D) all of the above 
E) none of the above 
A) a 
B) b 
C) c 
D) all of the above 
E) none of the above

Question 2

If a material has a half-life of 24 hours, how long do you have to wait until the amount of radioisotope is 1/4 its original amount?

Accepted Answer

A) 12 hours 
B) 24 hours 
C) 48 hours 
D) 72 hours 
E) practically forever, but it may be safe by then 
A) 12 hours 
B) 24 hours 
C) 48 hours 
D) 72 hours 
E) practically forever, but it may be safe by then

Question 3

Why might the following nuclear reaction not be very good for energy production in a fusion reactor?   Fe +   Fe →   Te

Accepted Answer

A) The material only produces a few neutrons so the chain reaction will not be very efficient. 
B) The reactants are too stable and it would cost energy to produce the product due to strong nuclear force. 
C) The products are not the right size to obtain any energy from the missing mass due to the strong nuclear force. 
D) The mass of the byproducts is too high and therefore the energy released will not be high enough. 
E) Interatomic attraction between the products will impede the separation of the atoms from the unstable nuclei. 
A) The material only produces a few neutrons so the chain reaction will not be very efficient. 
B) The reactants are too stable and it would cost energy to produce the product due to strong nuclear force. 
C) The products are not the right size to obtain any energy from the missing mass due to the strong nuclear force. 
D) The mass of the byproducts is too high and therefore the energy released will not be high enough. 
E) Interatomic attraction between the products will impede the separation of the atoms from the unstable nuclei.

Question 4

Which of the following emits more radiation?

Accepted Answer

A) a coal-fired power plant 
B) a nuclear power plant 
C) fallout from nuclear tests in the '50s and '60s 
D) a television set 
E) a computer monitor 
A) a coal-fired power plant 
B) a nuclear power plant 
C) fallout from nuclear tests in the '50s and '60s 
D) a television set 
E) a computer monitor

Question 5

Which of the following might be considered a viable application of a radioactive tracer?

Accepted Answer

A) adding a stream of radioisotopes to waste water to examine where pollution goes when it flows into the ocean 
B) placing radioactive sources around a room to trace the location of people as they move through the room 
C) embedding a radioactive plug in a valuable necklace so that its location can be determined using a Geiger counter 
D) all of the above 
E) none of the above 
A) adding a stream of radioisotopes to waste water to examine where pollution goes when it flows into the ocean 
B) placing radioactive sources around a room to trace the location of people as they move through the room 
C) embedding a radioactive plug in a valuable necklace so that its location can be determined using a Geiger counter 
D) all of the above 
E) none of the above

Question 6

Which type of radiation-alpha, beta, or gamma-results in the greatest change in atomic mass number?

Accepted Answer

A) alpha radiation 
B) beta radiation 
C) gamma radiation 
D) They all result in the same change in atomic mass number. 
A) alpha radiation 
B) beta radiation 
C) gamma radiation 
D) They all result in the same change in atomic mass number.

Question 7

When   Po emits a beta particle, it transforms into a new element. What are the atomic number and atomic mass of this new element?

Accepted Answer

A) atomic number = 84; atomic mass = 219 
B) atomic number = 86; atomic mass = 214 
C) atomic number = 85; atomic mass = 218 
D) atomic number = 82; atomic mass = 214 
A) atomic number = 84; atomic mass = 219 
B) atomic number = 86; atomic mass = 214 
C) atomic number = 85; atomic mass = 218 
D) atomic number = 82; atomic mass = 214

Question 8

Complete the following nuclear equation:   Tl →   Pb + ??

Accepted Answer

A)    e 
B)    He 
C) gamma ray 
D) both A and B 
E) none of the above 
A)    e 
B)    He 
C) gamma ray 
D) both A and B 
E) none of the above

Question 9

Which of the following statements about radiation is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Your body contains a number of radioactive isotopes. 
B) One rem is enough to kill approximately 50 percent of the average population. 
C) Radiation damages cells beyond repair. 
D) Several small exposures over time has the same negative effect as one large exposure that totals the same amount. 
E) Radiation can make you glow in the dark. 
A) Your body contains a number of radioactive isotopes. 
B) One rem is enough to kill approximately 50 percent of the average population. 
C) Radiation damages cells beyond repair. 
D) Several small exposures over time has the same negative effect as one large exposure that totals the same amount. 
E) Radiation can make you glow in the dark.

Question 10

Complete the following nuclear equation:   Bi →   Tl + ??

Accepted Answer

A)    e 
B)    He 
C) gamma ray 
D) both A and B 
E) none of the above 
A)    e 
B)    He 
C) gamma ray 
D) both A and B 
E) none of the above

Question 11

Why will nuclear fission probably not be used directly for powering automobiles?

Accepted Answer

A) Massive shielding would be required to protect against radioactivity exposure. 
B) Radioactive wastes could not be adequately controlled. 
C) It's more practical for cars to use the electricity generated by nuclear fission power plants. 
D) All of the above are true. 
A) Massive shielding would be required to protect against radioactivity exposure. 
B) Radioactive wastes could not be adequately controlled. 
C) It's more practical for cars to use the electricity generated by nuclear fission power plants. 
D) All of the above are true.

Question 12

After a uranium fuel rod reaches the end of its fuel cycle (typically 3 years)most of its energy comes from the fissioning of plutonium because

Accepted Answer

A) fissionable Pu-239 is formed as the U-238 absorbs neutrons from the fissioning U-235. 
B) fissionable Pu-239 is formed as the U-235 absorbs neutrons from the fissioning U-238. 
C) fissionable Pu-239 is formed as the U-238 absorbs alpha particles from the fissioning U-235. 
D) fissionable Pu-239 is formed as the U-235 absorbs alpha particles from the fissioning U-238. 
A) fissionable Pu-239 is formed as the U-238 absorbs neutrons from the fissioning U-235. 
B) fissionable Pu-239 is formed as the U-235 absorbs neutrons from the fissioning U-238. 
C) fissionable Pu-239 is formed as the U-238 absorbs alpha particles from the fissioning U-235. 
D) fissionable Pu-239 is formed as the U-235 absorbs alpha particles from the fissioning U-238.

Question 13

What is the main technical difficulty in dealing with fusion reactions?

Accepted Answer

A) The amount of energy needed to overcome the electrical repulsion of the reactants is extremely high. 
B) The reactants are highly toxic and extremely radioactive. 
C) The mass of the reactants is less than the mass of the products. 
D) It isn't possible to artificially generate the conditions needed for fusion. 
E) none of the above 
A) The amount of energy needed to overcome the electrical repulsion of the reactants is extremely high. 
B) The reactants are highly toxic and extremely radioactive. 
C) The mass of the reactants is less than the mass of the products. 
D) It isn't possible to artificially generate the conditions needed for fusion. 
E) none of the above

Question 14

Ordinary hydrogen is sometimes called a perfect fuel, because of its almost unlimited supply on Earth, and when it burns, harmless water is the product of the combustion. So why don't we abandon fission energy and fusion energy, not to mention fossil-fuel energy, and just use hydrogen?

Accepted Answer

A) The oil companies have lobbied the federal government to continue fossil fuel usage because it would mean huge profit losses for all the major oil conglomerates. 
B) The conversion of current energy consuming vehicles and other machinery to hydrogen, although simple, is going to be very costly to the consumer and difficult to legislate. 
C) The political, economic, and corporate pressures being exerted to oppose abandoning the other energy sources are the only obstacles to moving to the use of hydrogen as the nation's primary energy source. 
D) Hydrogen represents a viable solution for stored energy but not as a general energy source since obtaining the hydrogen from water requires more energy than is produced when you burn it. 
A) The oil companies have lobbied the federal government to continue fossil fuel usage because it would mean huge profit losses for all the major oil conglomerates. 
B) The conversion of current energy consuming vehicles and other machinery to hydrogen, although simple, is going to be very costly to the consumer and difficult to legislate. 
C) The political, economic, and corporate pressures being exerted to oppose abandoning the other energy sources are the only obstacles to moving to the use of hydrogen as the nation's primary energy source. 
D) Hydrogen represents a viable solution for stored energy but not as a general energy source since obtaining the hydrogen from water requires more energy than is produced when you burn it.

Question 15

What is transmutation?

Accepted Answer

A) changing one element into another by adding or removing protons from the nucleus 
B) changing one element into another by adding or removing electrons from the nucleus 
C) changing one element into another by adding or removing neutrons from the nucleus 
D) a process that emits radiation 
E) alteration in DNA due to radioactivity 
A) changing one element into another by adding or removing protons from the nucleus 
B) changing one element into another by adding or removing electrons from the nucleus 
C) changing one element into another by adding or removing neutrons from the nucleus 
D) a process that emits radiation 
E) alteration in DNA due to radioactivity

Question 16

Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann discovered fission by bombarding uranium with neutrons. Their discovery was made possible by finding one of the fission products, barium (Ba, atomic no. = 56). What is a reasonable explanation for why they were unable to initially observe the other product, krypton (Kr, atomic no. = 36)

Accepted Answer

A) Krypton is a noble gas and it may have diffused out of the sample. 
B) The isotope of krypton generated might have a short half-life and had undergone radioactive decay to some other element. 
C) Krypton is a noble gas and therefore chemically unreactive, making it difficult to characterize by chemical means. 
D) both A and B 
E) all of the above 
A) Krypton is a noble gas and it may have diffused out of the sample. 
B) The isotope of krypton generated might have a short half-life and had undergone radioactive decay to some other element. 
C) Krypton is a noble gas and therefore chemically unreactive, making it difficult to characterize by chemical means. 
D) both A and B 
E) all of the above

Question 17

People who work around radioactivity wear film badges to monitor the amount of radiation that reaches their bodies. These badges consist of small pieces of photographic film enclosed in a light-proof wrapper. What kind of radiation do these devices monitor?

Accepted Answer

A) Alpha radiation 
B) Beta radiation 
C) Gamma radiation 
D) all of the above 
A) Alpha radiation 
B) Beta radiation 
C) Gamma radiation 
D) all of the above

Question 18

Which of the following professions would likely have the highest occupational exposure to radiation per year?

Accepted Answer

A) airline pilot 
B) quarterback for the Denver Broncos 
C) center for the L.A. Lakers 
D) deep sea diver 
E) lifeguard 
A) airline pilot 
B) quarterback for the Denver Broncos 
C) center for the L.A. Lakers 
D) deep sea diver 
E) lifeguard

Question 19

How do fission power plants work?

Accepted Answer

A) The heat from a nuclear reaction is used to boil water. 
B) The neutrons from a nuclear reaction undergo fusion with water to produce hydrogen gas, which drives a turbine. 
C) The electrons from a nuclear reaction are harnessed to produce an electrical current. 
D) The krypton gas generated in the fission process is used to drive a turbine. 
E) none of the above 
A) The heat from a nuclear reaction is used to boil water. 
B) The neutrons from a nuclear reaction undergo fusion with water to produce hydrogen gas, which drives a turbine. 
C) The electrons from a nuclear reaction are harnessed to produce an electrical current. 
D) The krypton gas generated in the fission process is used to drive a turbine. 
E) none of the above

Question 20

Complete the following nuclear equation:   Bi → ?? +   e

Accepted Answer

A)    Po 
B)    Pb 
C)    Pb 
D)    Th 
E) none of the above 
A)    Po 
B)    Pb 
C)    Pb 
D)    Th 
E) none of the above

Exam 13: The Atomic Nucleus and Radioactivity

Which of the beams is due to an energetic light wave?

If a material has a half-life of 24 hours, how long do you have to wait until the amount of radioisotope is 1/4 its original amount?

Why might the following nuclear reaction not be very good for energy production in a fusion reactor? Fe + Fe → Te

Which of the following emits more radiation?

Which of the following might be considered a viable application of a radioactive tracer?

Which type of radiation-alpha, beta, or gamma-results in the greatest change in atomic mass number?

When Po emits a beta particle, it transforms into a new element. What are the atomic number and atomic mass of this new element?

Complete the following nuclear equation: Tl → Pb + ??

Which of the following statements about radiation is true?

Complete the following nuclear equation: Bi → Tl + ??

Why will nuclear fission probably not be used directly for powering automobiles?

After a uranium fuel rod reaches the end of its fuel cycle (typically 3 years)most of its energy comes from the fissioning of plutonium because

What is the main technical difficulty in dealing with fusion reactions?

Ordinary hydrogen is sometimes called a perfect fuel, because of its almost unlimited supply on Earth, and when it burns, harmless water is the product of the combustion. So why don't we abandon fission energy and fusion energy, not to mention fossil-fuel energy, and just use hydrogen?

What is transmutation?

People who work around radioactivity wear film badges to monitor the amount of radiation that reaches their bodies. These badges consist of small pieces of photographic film enclosed in a light-proof wrapper. What kind of radiation do these devices monitor?

Which of the following professions would likely have the highest occupational exposure to radiation per year?

How do fission power plants work?

Complete the following nuclear equation: Bi → ?? + e

Patterns of Motion and Equilibrium

Newtons Laws of Motion

Momentum and Energy

Gravity, Projectiles, and Satellites

Fluid Mechanics

Thermal Energy and Thermodynamics

Heat Transfer and Change of Phase

Static and Current Electricity

Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction

Waves and Sound

Light

Atoms and the Periodic Table

Elements of Chemistry

How Atoms Bond and Molecules Attract

Mixtures

How Chemicals React

Two Classes of Chemical Reactions

Organic Compounds

Rocks and Minerals

Plate Tectonics and Earths Interior

Shaping Earths Surface

Geologic Timereading the Rock Record

The Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climatic Effects

Driving Forces of Weather

The Solar System

Stars and Galaxies

The Structure of Space and Time

Prologue: the Nature of Science

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